Eco-electricity gaining ground with consumers

Higher electricity prices are boosting the popularity of power produced by green technologies. As the price gap between "regular" and eco-electricity narrows, more households are signing up for electricity supplies generated from renewable energy sources.

Sisänäkymä Kaukaan Voiman biovoimalasta.
Image: YLE

Sales of green electricity have risen in step with higher prices for electricity from plants fired by fossil fuels.

"Green electricity is an easy choice when the price is close to that for regular electricity. But, if it is distinctly more expensive, the choice leans towards regular power," explains Kimmo Tyni of the Haminan Energia utility.

The company reports that 90 percent of its new household customers say that they would prefer to contract for electricity generated by wind power if the price were the same as for traditional supplies.

Last year, the nation consumed 87 terawatt hours of electricity, a good quarter of which was generated by renewable sources. Electricity generated by wind power is very close to the same price for private consumers because of measures such as lower network feed tariffs. Even so, many utilities continue to sell eco-electricity at premium prices.

"Now that prices for market electricity have risen close to those for eco-electricity production costs, I see no reason why it should be any more expensive," says Kimmo Tyni.